Electric candle



Patented Feb. 18, 1936 T OFFICE ELECTRIC CANDLE Harry Rothenberg, West Norwood, N. J., assignor to Henry Hyman, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application June 25, 1931, Serial No. 546,761

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric candle which may be automatically extinguished when it is set down, and automatically lighted when taken p.

The device is provided with a switch of such a character that the candle can be kept lighted permanently when desired, or the switch can be so adjusted that the light will be extinguished whether the candle is taken up or not. The switch mechanism is housed so that it is invisible and the parts are simple and economical to manufacture and install. The candle is lighted by a battery and the interior of the casing for the electric light battery is readily accessible so that new battery cells can be quickly substituted when desired.

The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a side View of an illustrative embodiment of the invention partly in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale partly broken away showing some of the parts; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sectional views taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing parts in diiiere-nt posit-ions.

In the drawing reference character I indicates a metal casing for an electric candle, which casing may be circular in cross section or of any other convenient shape. An electric bulb 2 is mounted at the top of the casing and may be surrounded with a translucent cap 3 that is kept in place by means of the clips i. An electric battery is enclosed by the casing I. One terminal of this battery may be connected to one end of the filament of the bulb 2 and the other end of the filament of the bulb may be connected to the casing I in any of the well known ways.

The lower end of the casing I is screw-threaded, as shown at 6 and screws into ascrew-threaded socket 'I of the metal base 8. A disc 9 of insulating material is mounted at the lower open end of the socket I and is kept in place by the rivets I0.

A plug I I of insulating material is mounted on the disc 9 and a spring contact I2 is mounted at the upper end of the plug II and makes contact with the terminal I3 of the battery 5. A metal contact pin I4 extends through the disc 9, plug II, and spring contact I2, the upper end of this pin I4 being riveted over the contact I2, as indicated at I5 to keep the parts in place. A head It is provided at the other end of the pin I4. A sleeve I! of insulating material surrounds the pin I4 and keeps the head It spaced a short distance from the disc 9.

A metal plate It closes the lower end of the base 8 and is kept in place by crimping the edges of this base over the edges of the disc as indicated at i9. A fiat spring 20 is mounted on the upper side of the plate I8. One end of this spring is 5 fastened to the plate by means of the rivet 2|. The other end of the spring 26 extends into proximity to an elongated opening at the middle of the disc I8. This opening has an enlarged central part 22 and narrow extensions 23 and 24 on opposite sides of the enlarged central part 22 and. these extensions 23 and 24 extend in the direction of the spring 29.

A sliding switch 25 is provided between the disc I8 and spring Zll. One end 26 of the sliding switch 25 is approximately as wide as the spring and is provided with guide lips 21 bent up to contact with the edges of the spring 26. The other end 28 of the sliding switch is bent back and spaced from the main body portion of this 20 spring. The bent back end 28 is bifurcated to leave a space 29. This portion 28 lies above the head It of the pin I4 and straddles the insulating sleeve H.

A conically shaped projection 36 is provided on 25 the lower side of the sliding switch 25, the base of this projection being approximately of the same diameter as the enlarged central part 22 of the opening in the plate I8. A shank 3I is provided at the apex of the conical portion 39, the 30 diameter of this shank 3| being small enough to permit the shank to slide into the extensions 23 and 2l on. opposite sides of the enlarged portion 22 of the opening in the disc iii. A button 32 is provided at the end of the shank 3i 35 The operation is as follows:

When the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the circuit is closed and may be traced from the battery terminal I3 through spring contact I2, pin it, head It, portion 28 of the switch 25, switch 25, spring 23, plate I8, base 8, casing I and thence through the lamp bulb 2 to the other terminal of the battery. When the device is placed upon a fiat surface the button 32 is pressed upwardly, thusrllfting the portion 28 of the switch off of the top surface of the head it, thereby opening the circuit and extinguishing the light.

When it is desired to keep the light extinguished regardless of whether the device has been picked up or is resting upon a fiat surface, the button 32 is pushed upwardly until the shank 3| is ready to enter the slot 23, whereupon the switch 25 is pushed to the position shown in Fig. 3, thus keeping the part 28 out of contact 5 with the head l6 since the conical portion 30 does not permit the switch to return to its lower position.

When it is desired to light the bulb even when the device is resting upon a flat surface the button is pushed upwardly to bring the shank 3| opposite the end of the slot 24, whereupon the switch 25 is pushed into the position shown in Fig. 5, thus making contact between the rim of the head I 6 and the bent-up portion of the switch 25.

I claim:

1. In an electric candle, a hollow base, a metal closure for said base, a flat spring attached to said closure, a slidable switch in said base in contact with said spring, a battery in said candle, and a contact for one end of said battery, said closure having a slot varying in width at dififerent portions and said switch having a conical extension projecting through said slot.

2. In an electric candle, a hollow base, a metal closure for said base, a flat spring attached to said closure, a slidable switch in said base in contact with said spring, a battery in said candle, and a contact for one end of said battery, said closure having a slot that is wider at an intermediate portion than at its end portions and said switch having a conical extension projecting through said slot.

HARRY RO'I'HENBERG. 

